A Lewisville man was in critical condition Friday night after a gas explosion flattened the duplex where he lived.

Crews were working to repair a gas leak when the house exploded about 12:30 p.m. in the 500 block of East Main Street east of Interstate 35E.

Firefighters were sent to the site shortly after 10 a.m. and had evacuated several houses, a business and a church downwind of the leak. The injured man had not been evacuated from the duplex because it was upwind from the leak, which was less than 100 feet away, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Freed said.

The man, who had not been identified late Friday, was taken to Medical Center of Lewisville along with two firefighters who were injured in the blast.

Both firefighters were released Friday night. The man underwent surgery for internal injuries, then was transferred to another hospital, fire officials said.

The resident of the other half of the duplex was not home at the time of the explosion.

Neighbors said the blast blew out their windows. Bronnia Campbell was outside at the time.

“I watched it, and it was hideous,” she said of the destruction of the duplex. “I just froze and watched it disintegrate. Anyone that did not see that could not imagine.”

Campbell lives in one of the five housing units across the street. All of those, as well as the destroyed duplex, are owned by Christian Community Action, which rents the homes at a reduced rate for low-income residents.

Staff at the CCA office a few blocks away said they felt the explosion and saw smoke from the fire. At first, they didn’t realize the blast had involved one of their properties.

“I thought a plane had crashed,” said CCA president Ron Batts. “Our entire office building shook.”

Atmos Energy crews were able to shut off the main gas line to the area shortly before 5 p.m., allowing fire crews to return to clear rubble. Several blocks of Main Street remained closed.

The gas leak occurred in the morning when the line was struck by a backhoe while a utility company was working on a power line. More than two hours after the explosion, officials were still trying to determine the cause of the blast.

“As far as how gas got into the house that came down, I have no idea,” Fire Chief Tim Tittle said.

Atmos Energy will investigate the explosion, company spokeswoman Jennifer Ryan said. It could be days before the company announces the cause, she said.

Firefighters typically only evacuate buildings downwind of a gas leak, which is why the man injured in the explosion was allowed to stay inside. He and other residents were told there was a leak, but they weren’t forced to leave their homes, fire officials said.

“Crews in the scene felt they were in a safe area,” Tittle said of the duplex. “If we feel like they’re in immediate danger … we don’t give them an option. They need to leave.”

Fire officials said there were no signs that the gas leak could have caused such a destructive explosion.

“There was nothing that led us to believe that we had anything more than a ruptured gas line,” Tittle said.

Because firefighters were already there, he said, they were able to quickly fight the fire and find the injured man in the rubble.

The man, whom neighbors called Scott, works part time for CCA and had recently reconnected with his daughter, said Batts, the CCA president.

Campbell and neighbor Janet Elenbaas, who was also outside at the time of the blast, said they yelled to firefighters that their friend was inside before they were forced to leave the area.

Residents in affected CCA homes were seeking help from that agency and the Red Cross. They were not allowed back into their homes until firefighters could clear debris from the scene.

Many gathered together with their dogs and a few belongings they were able to grab.

“We all know each other, and we’re all real close,” Elenbaas said. “I just hope Scott is going to be OK.”

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